DataGridView.DataSource Property

Definition

Gets or sets the data source that the DataGridView is displaying data for.

public:
 property System::Object ^ DataSource { System::Object ^ get(); void set(System::Object ^ value); };
public object DataSource { get; set; }
public object? DataSource { get; set; }
member this.DataSource : obj with get, set
Public Property DataSource As Object

Property Value

The object that contains data for the DataGridView to display.

Exceptions

An error occurred in the data source and either there is no handler for the DataError event or the handler has set the ThrowException property to true. The exception object can typically be cast to type FormatException.

Examples

The following code example demonstrates how to initialize a simple data-bound DataGridView. It also demonstrates how to set the DataSource property.

#using <System.Transactions.dll>
#using <System.EnterpriseServices.dll>
#using <System.Xml.dll>
#using <System.Drawing.dll>
#using <System.dll>
#using <System.Windows.Forms.dll>
#using <System.Data.dll>

using namespace System;
using namespace System::Data;
using namespace System::Data::SqlClient;
using namespace System::Windows::Forms;
using namespace System::Drawing;
public ref class Form1: public System::Windows::Forms::Form
{
public:
   Form1()
      : Form()
   {
      
      //This call is required by the Windows Form Designer.
      InitializeComponent();
      InitializeDataGridView();
      
      //Add any initialization after the InitializeComponent() call
   }


protected:

   ~Form1()
   {
      if ( components != nullptr )
      {
         delete components;
      }
   }

private:
   System::Windows::Forms::DataGridView ^ dataGridView1;
   System::Windows::Forms::BindingSource ^ bindingSource1;

   //Required by the Windows Form Designer
   System::ComponentModel::IContainer^ components;

   //NOTE: The following procedure is required by the Windows Form Designer
   //It can be modified using the Windows Form Designer.  
   //Do not modify it using the code editor.

   [System::Diagnostics::DebuggerNonUserCode]
   void InitializeComponent()
   {
      this->dataGridView1 = gcnew System::Windows::Forms::DataGridView;
      this->bindingSource1 = gcnew System::Windows::Forms::BindingSource;
      this->SuspendLayout();

      //
      //DataGridView1
      //
      this->dataGridView1->Location = System::Drawing::Point( 96, 71 );
      this->dataGridView1->Name = "DataGridView1";
      this->dataGridView1->Size = System::Drawing::Size( 321, 286 );
      this->dataGridView1->TabIndex = 0;

      //
      //Form1
      //
      this->ClientSize = System::Drawing::Size( 518, 413 );
      this->Controls->Add( this->dataGridView1 );
      this->Name = "Form1";
      this->Text = "Form1";
      this->ResumeLayout( false );
   }

internal:

   static property Form1^ GetInstance 
   {
      Form1^ get()
      {
         if ( m_DefaultInstance == nullptr || m_DefaultInstance->IsDisposed )
         {
            System::Threading::Monitor::Enter( m_SyncObject );
            try
            {
               if ( m_DefaultInstance == nullptr || m_DefaultInstance->IsDisposed )
               {
                  m_DefaultInstance = gcnew Form1;
               }
            }
            finally
            {
               System::Threading::Monitor::Exit( m_SyncObject );
            }
         }

         return m_DefaultInstance;
      }
   }

private:
   static Form1^ m_DefaultInstance;
   static Object^ m_SyncObject = gcnew Object;

   void InitializeDataGridView()
   {
      try
      {
         // Set up the DataGridView.
         dataGridView1->Dock = DockStyle::Fill;

         // Automatically generate the DataGridView columns.
         dataGridView1->AutoGenerateColumns = true;

         // Set up the data source.
         bindingSource1->DataSource = GetData( "Select * From Products" );
         dataGridView1->DataSource = bindingSource1;

         // Automatically resize the visible rows.
         dataGridView1->AutoSizeRowsMode = DataGridViewAutoSizeRowsMode::DisplayedCellsExceptHeaders;

         // Set the DataGridView control's border.
         dataGridView1->BorderStyle = BorderStyle::Fixed3D;

         // Put the cells in edit mode when user enters them.
         dataGridView1->EditMode = DataGridViewEditMode::EditOnEnter;
      }
      catch ( SqlException^ ) 
      {
         MessageBox::Show( "To run this sample replace connection.ConnectionString"
         " with a valid connection string to a Northwind"
         " database accessible to your system.", "ERROR", MessageBoxButtons::OK, MessageBoxIcon::Exclamation );
         System::Threading::Thread::CurrentThread->Abort();
      }
      catch ( System::Exception^ ex ) 
      {
         MessageBox::Show( ex->ToString() );
      }
   }


   DataTable^ GetData( String^ sqlCommand )
   {
      String^ connectionString = "Integrated Security=SSPI;Persist Security Info=False;"
      "Initial Catalog=Northwind;Data Source= localhost";
      SqlConnection^ northwindConnection = gcnew SqlConnection( connectionString );
      SqlCommand^ command = gcnew SqlCommand( sqlCommand,northwindConnection );
      SqlDataAdapter^ adapter = gcnew SqlDataAdapter;
      adapter->SelectCommand = command;
      DataTable^ table = gcnew DataTable;
      adapter->Fill( table );
      return table;
   }
};

int main()
{
   Application::Run( gcnew Form1 );
}
using System;
using System.Data;
using System.Data.SqlClient;
using System.Windows.Forms;
using System.Drawing;

public class Form1 : System.Windows.Forms.Form
{
    private DataGridView dataGridView1 = new DataGridView();
    private BindingSource bindingSource1 = new BindingSource();

    public Form1()
    {
        dataGridView1.Dock = DockStyle.Fill;
        this.Controls.Add(dataGridView1);
        InitializeDataGridView();
    }

    private void InitializeDataGridView()
    {
        try
        {
            // Set up the DataGridView.
            dataGridView1.Dock = DockStyle.Fill;

            // Automatically generate the DataGridView columns.
            dataGridView1.AutoGenerateColumns = true;

            // Set up the data source.
            bindingSource1.DataSource = GetData("Select * From Products");
            dataGridView1.DataSource = bindingSource1;

            // Automatically resize the visible rows.
            dataGridView1.AutoSizeRowsMode =
                DataGridViewAutoSizeRowsMode.DisplayedCellsExceptHeaders;

            // Set the DataGridView control's border.
            dataGridView1.BorderStyle = BorderStyle.Fixed3D;

            // Put the cells in edit mode when user enters them.
            dataGridView1.EditMode = DataGridViewEditMode.EditOnEnter;
        }
        catch (SqlException)
        {
            MessageBox.Show("To run this sample replace connection.ConnectionString" +
                " with a valid connection string to a Northwind" +
                " database accessible to your system.", "ERROR",
                MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Exclamation);
            System.Threading.Thread.CurrentThread.Abort();
        }
    }

    private static DataTable GetData(string sqlCommand)
    {
        string connectionString = "Integrated Security=SSPI;" +
            "Persist Security Info=False;" +
            "Initial Catalog=Northwind;Data Source=localhost";

        SqlConnection northwindConnection = new SqlConnection(connectionString);

        SqlCommand command = new SqlCommand(sqlCommand, northwindConnection);
        SqlDataAdapter adapter = new SqlDataAdapter();
        adapter.SelectCommand = command;

        DataTable table = new DataTable();
        table.Locale = System.Globalization.CultureInfo.InvariantCulture;
        adapter.Fill(table);

        return table;
    }

    [STAThreadAttribute()]
    public static void Main()
    {
        Application.Run(new Form1());
    }
}
Imports System.Data
Imports System.Data.SqlClient
Imports System.Windows.Forms
Imports System.Drawing
Public Class Form1
    Inherits System.Windows.Forms.Form

    Private WithEvents dataGridView1 As New DataGridView()
    Private bindingSource1 As New BindingSource()

    Public Sub New()

        Me.dataGridView1.Dock = DockStyle.Fill
        Me.Controls.Add(Me.dataGridView1)
        InitializeDataGridView()

    End Sub

    Private Sub InitializeDataGridView()
        Try
            ' Set up the DataGridView.
            With Me.dataGridView1
                ' Automatically generate the DataGridView columns.
                .AutoGenerateColumns = True

                ' Set up the data source.
                bindingSource1.DataSource = GetData("Select * From Products")
                .DataSource = bindingSource1

                ' Automatically resize the visible rows.
                .AutoSizeRowsMode = _
                    DataGridViewAutoSizeRowsMode.DisplayedCellsExceptHeaders

                ' Set the DataGridView control's border.
                .BorderStyle = BorderStyle.Fixed3D

                ' Put the cells in edit mode when user enters them.
                .EditMode = DataGridViewEditMode.EditOnEnter
            End With
        Catch ex As SqlException
            MessageBox.Show("To run this sample replace " _
                & "connection.ConnectionString with a valid connection string" _
                & "  to a Northwind database accessible to your system.", _
                "ERROR", MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Exclamation)
            System.Threading.Thread.CurrentThread.Abort()
        End Try
    End Sub

    Private Shared Function GetData(ByVal sqlCommand As String) _
        As DataTable

        Dim connectionString As String = _
            "Integrated Security=SSPI;Persist Security Info=False;" _
            & "Initial Catalog=Northwind;Data Source=localhost"

        Dim northwindConnection As SqlConnection = _
            New SqlConnection(connectionString)

        Dim command As New SqlCommand(sqlCommand, northwindConnection)
        Dim adapter As SqlDataAdapter = New SqlDataAdapter()
        adapter.SelectCommand = command

        Dim table As New DataTable
        table.Locale = System.Globalization.CultureInfo.InvariantCulture
        adapter.Fill(table)

        Return table

    End Function

    <STAThreadAttribute()> _
    Public Shared Sub Main()
        Application.Run(New Form1)
    End Sub

End Class

Remarks

The DataGridView class supports the standard Windows Forms data-binding model. This means the data source can be of any type that implements one of the following interfaces:

For specific examples, see the Example section and the task table at the end of this section.

Typically, you will bind to a BindingSource component and bind the BindingSource component to another data source or populate it with business objects. The BindingSource component is the preferred data source because it can bind to a wide variety of data sources and can resolve many data binding issues automatically.

When binding to a data source that contains multiple lists or tables, you must set the DataMember property to a string that specifies the list or table to bind to. When binding to a BindingSource component that contains multiple lists or tables, however, you can set the DataMember property of the BindingSource component instead.

When binding to an object collection rather than to database data, you will typically set the DataSourceNullValue property of the object returned by the DefaultCellStyle property to null rather than using the default value of DBNull.Value, which is appropriate for database data.

For more information, see Displaying Data in the Windows Forms DataGridView Control. The following table provides direct links to common tasks related to the DataSource property.

See Walkthrough: Creating a Master/Detail Form Using Two Windows Forms DataGridView Controls and How to: Bind Objects to Windows Forms DataGridView Controls.

Applies to

See also